Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said India’s reliance on Chinese imports remains a strategic vulnerability, even as the country gains diplomatic weight and faces security tensions with Beijing.
Tharoor made the remarks at the NDTV World Summit in New Delhi. He was responding to a question about India’s diplomatic position as global events reshape the international order. He said India draws greater international interest than it did in the 1980s and 1990s, while its broader role has made policy weaknesses more visible. NDTV reported his comments from the event.
Tharoor, chairman of Parliament’s standing committee on foreign affairs, said India’s reliance on Chinese imports continued despite border and security tensions. He cited the trade deficit as evidence of vulnerability and described the dependence as involving a government he considered poorly disposed toward Indian interests.
He also pointed to uncertainty in other partnerships. Tharoor cited U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 50% tariffs in 2025, saying India may have taken some bilateral ties for granted. He added that India may have lost the trust of some countries by becoming too close to others.
On China, Tharoor said Beijing had acted against India’s interests along the border and backed Pakistan in the brief conflict between the countries in 2025. He said China supplied Pakistan with a large quantity of weapons after India launched Operation Sindoor. He further alleged that Chinese satellites positioned above Indian territory transmitted data while the fighting continued, describing that support as hostile.
Tharoor cautioned that India’s economic growth alone would not assure a successful outcome as the international order shifts. He said the country must navigate wider global engagement alongside strategic and economic vulnerabilities.
The summit was held in New Delhi on Oct. 22-23 under the theme “A World Between Orders.”
